Stop stripping funds from artificial reef development

With the Louisiana legislative session in full swing, dollars get added and dollars get stripped from both good and bad funds. One good fund that is facing having its funds stripped is the Artificial Reef Development Fund, founded some 25 years ago.

The Louisiana legislators have voted to remove, over the coming fiscal years, some $26 million from the reef fund. These constitutionally dedicated dollars help to convert decommissioned oil rigs into reefs for aquatic purposes. Oil and gas companies pay into this reef fund to increase the fish presence for recreational purposes, to promote ecological research and to offset the dollars that it costs oil and gas companies to remove decommissioned rigs. Decommissioning a rig, independent of the reef fund, can cost nearly $4 million. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, thanks to the reef fund, has constructed more than 60 offshore reefs from nearly 270 oil platforms.

At of the beginning of this current fiscal year, the reef fund had diminished to around $6 million. As of today, around $12 million is in the fund, but as dollars are removed from the reef fund and added back into the general fund to help with state budget cuts, there will be no dollars left for the ARDF organization to operate. To date, more than $46 million has been stripped from this constitutionally protected fund.

Through years of research, the Minerals Management Service discovered a great link between the rigs and the aquamarine community. Fish and aquatic wildlife of many different species make their homes deep beneath the water's surface near offshore rigs. Fishermen, scuba divers and the coastal communities surrounding the Gulf of Mexico have long lobbied the oil and gas community and the federal government to not remove the obsolete or nonproductive platforms. The fishermen have found that some of the best catches can be found near these rigs. Divers say that the most colorful dives can be had at these older rig sites thanks to the artificial reefs.

Whether the aquatic life is preserved, better fishing is made available or the oil and gas industry is able to save millions of dollars, the program is essential to the state. It is no secret that the budget is facing a shortfall, but using dedicated dollars funded by the oil and gas industry is problematic for those oil and gas companies paying into the fund. Removing the reef fund dollars feels more like a tax on the oil and gas industry. Although converting rigs into reefs is vital to the industry and the Gulf Coast fishing and tourism sector, if the funds are not available to operate the program, a larger problem exists. In order for the state to remain economically competitive, it is vital that funds are kept in place.

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Stop stripping funds from artificial reef development

With the Louisiana legislative session in full swing, dollars get added and dollars get stripped from both good and bad funds. One good fund that is facing having its funds stripped is the Artificial